Jeanine Abrons, clinical assistant professor, and UI College of Pharmacy students Serena Lester, Michelle Davids, Shanique Powell, Ashley Kappenman, and Hayley Meyer recently returned from a two-week trip to Dominica, West Indies that is part of a five week advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE).

Abrons and fellow pharmacist preceptors gave one of the first ever continuing educations for the freshly revitalized Dominica Pharmacists Association. About 20 pharmacists attended; a good representation for such a small country with few pharmacists. The topic was on infectious disease practices.

Also, Abrons was asked to meet with the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Pharmacist and the Minister of Health and other members of the Ministry of Health during one of the first meetings held in the District of LaPlaine after the election of the new Minister.

On Jan. 26, Abrons and her group hosted the fifth annual health fair in the LaPlaine District of Dominica with over 100 attendees, during which student pharmacists provided education of common disease states in Dominica. On Jan. 27 and 29, she and her students taught lectures for Dominica State College’s newly-formed pharmacy program on pain management and common respiratory conditions. Also on Jan. 29, they assisted in an all-day health screening for one of the largest employers in Dominica: Whitchurch in collaboration with a local community pharmacy, Jolly’s Pharmacy. Over 100 patients were screened.

The trip was part of a larger five-week rotation, which also provides exposure to complementary and alternative medicines. Dominica is one of the college’s three core international rotation sites. Belize and Japan are the others.

After returning, student pharmacist learned about therapeutic properties of herbal plants, turning coconut from its raw form into oil and then were given the opportunity to put compounding skills to use due to a relationship with Eco Lips of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.